Posttraumatic symptoms and poor sleep are independent pathways to agency disruptions and dissociation: A longitudinal study with objective sleep assessment.

Dissociation and diminished sense of agency are experiential distortions of disintegration in the perception of self and action. Although one is often implied in the other, they are seldom studied together. Assessing their relationship and shared influences may allow for a more comprehensive and nuanced understanding of dissociative experiences. We aimed to examine their temporal (concurrent or directional) co-occurrence, and to elucidate their etiology, focusing on posttraumatic symptoms (PTS), poor sleep, and their hypothesized joint effect. N = 113 adults oversampled for the existence of trauma exposure history reported PTS and then, for a week, wore an actigraphic sleep monitor, reported subjective sleep quality each morning, and reported state dissociation (depersonalization, derealization, and absorption) and sense of agency four times each day. Data were analyzed using multilevel linear modeling. Higher state dissociation correlated with diminished state sense of agency, but only contemporaneously, not directionally. Both hypothesized etiological factors, namely, PTS (especially complex) and poor sleep (objective and subjective) predicted state dissociation and diminished state sense of agency, but psychological distress seemed to overshadow these main effects. However, robust interactive effects suggested that poor sleep predicted dissociation and disruptions in the sense of agency only among individuals with low PTS. These findings suggest that PTS and poor sleep quality are separate paths to dissociation and impaired sense of agency. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

The temporal dynamics of dissociation: protocol for an ecological momentary assessment and laboratory study in a transdiagnostic sample.

BACKGROUND: Dissociation is a ubiquitous clinical phenomenon. Dissociative disorders (DD) are primarily characterized by dissociation, and dissociative states are also a criterion for borderline personality disorder (BPD) and the dissociative subtype of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Dissociative reactions (e.g., depersonalization/derealization or gaps in awareness/memory) across diagnostic categories are believed to be affect contingent and theorized to serve affect regulation functions. What is not clear, however, is how self-reported affect and physiological reactivity unfold within dissociative episodes. To address this issue, the present project aims to investigate the hypothesis (1) whether self-reported distress (as indicated by arousal, e.g., feeling tense/agitated, and/or valence, e.g., feeling discontent/unwell) and physiological reactivity increase before dissociative episodes and (2) whether self-reported distress and physiological reactivity decrease during and after dissociative episodes in a transdiagnostic sample of patients with DD, BPD, and/or PTSD. METHODS: We will use a smartphone application to assess affect and dissociation 12 times per day over the course of one week in everyday life. During this time, heart and respiratory rates will be remotely monitored. Afterwards, participants will report affect and dissociative states eight times in the laboratory before, during, and after the Trier Social Stress Test. During the laboratory task, we will continuously record heart rate, electrodermal activity, and respiratory rate, as well as measure blood pressure and take salivary samples to determine cortisol levels. Our hypotheses will be tested using multilevel structural equation models. Power analyses determined a sample size of 85. DISCUSSION: The project will test key predictions of a transdiagnostic model of dissociation based on the idea that dissociative reactions are affect contingent and serve affect regulation functions. This project will not include non-clinical control participants. In addition, the assessment of dissociation is limited to pathological phenomena.

The forensic assessment of dissociation: Distinguishing real from the unreal.

Because a wide range of disorders incorporate dissociative symptoms, evaluators should be familiar with evidence-based approaches to evaluating dissociation claims in the clinical and forensic context. This article provides specific guidelines for practitioners when conducting a forensic assessment of individuals who report dissociative symptoms. We review the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition disorders that include dissociation as a symptom, highlight how to distinguish genuine versus atypical symptoms of dissociative identity disorder, and summarize strengths and weaknesses of structured assessments in the evaluation of dissociative claims.

Percepções de familiares sobre uma rede de cuidados de saúde mental infantojuvenil / Family perceptions about a children's mental health network / Percepciones familiares sobre una red de atención de salud mental infantojuvenil

Este artigo pretende conhecer como a rede de cuidados em saúde tem se operacionalizado a partir da percepção de familiares de crianças com demanda de cuidado em saúde mental (SM). Foram realizados dois grupos focais, um com familiares da Atenção Básica (AB) e outro com familiares do Centro de Atenção Psicossocial Infantojuvenil (CAPSij), totalizando 15 participantes. Seguiu-se com a análise lexical do tipo classificação hierárquica descendente, com o auxílio do software R Interface, a fim de análises multidimensionais de textos e questionários (IRaMuTeQ), resultando em cinco classes: A Pílula Mágica; Forças e Fraquezas dos serviços; Procurando por ajuda; Aceitando o diagnóstico da criança e Onde procurei ajuda. Os resultados apontam para dificuldades presentes na AB em identificar e manejar situações de Saúde Mental Infantojuvenil (SMIJ), por meio de uma lógica ainda medicalizante. Ressalta-se que a escola é apresentada como lugar de destaque na produção da demanda por cuidado e a família ainda é pouco convocada à construção das ações. Conclui-se, então, que avanços ainda são necessários para operacionalização de um cuidado pautado nas diretrizes da política de SMIJ.(AU)

This article aims to know how the healthcare network has been operationalized from the perception of family members of children with demand for mental health care (MH). Two focus groups were held, one with family members from Primary Care (PC) and the other with family members from the Child Psychosocial Care Center (CAPSij), totaling 15 participants. A lexical analysis of the descending hierarchical classification type was performed with the help of the software R Interface for multidimensional analyzes of texts and questionnaires (IRAMUTEQ), resulting in five classes: The Magic Pill; Strengths and Weaknesses of services; Looking for help; Accepting the child's diagnosis; and Where did I look for help. The results point to difficulties present in PC in identifying and managing situations of mental health in children and adolescents (MHCA), with a medicalization logic. Note that the school is presented as a prominent place in producing the demand for care, and the family is still not very much involved in the actions. It is, thus, concluded that advances are still needed for operationalization of care guided by MHCA policy guidelines.(AU)

Este artículo tuvo por objetivo conocer cómo opera una red asistencial a partir de la percepción de familiares de niños con demanda de atención en salud mental (SM). Se realizaron dos grupos focales, uno con familiares de Atención Primaria (AP) y otro con familiares del Centro de Atención Psicosocial Infantojuvenil (CAPSij), totalizando 15 participantes. Se realizó análisis léxico del tipo clasificación jerárquica descendente con la ayuda del software Interface de R pour les Analyses Multidimensionnelles de Textes et de Questionnaires (IRAMUTEQ), lo que resultó en cinco clases: "La píldora mágica"; "Fortalezas y debilidades de los servicios"; "En busca de ayuda"; "Aceptar el diagnóstico del niño" y "¿Dónde busqué ayuda?". Los resultados apuntan las dificultades presentes en AP para identificar y manejar situaciones de salud mental infantojuvenil (SMIJ) mediante una lógica aún medicalizante. La escuela tiene un lugar destacado en la producción de la demanda de cuidados y la familia aún no está muy involucrada en la construcción de acciones. Se concluye que se necesitan avances para ofertar una atención guiada por lineamientos de la política del SMIJ.(AU)

Poder, norma e ideário na lei da alienação parental / Power, norm and ideology in the law of parental alienation / Poder, norma e ideología en la ley de alienación parental

A recomendação ética do psicólogo para intervir criticamente sobre a demanda vai de encontro com a tarefa de diagnosticar atos de Alienação Parental e, num sentido amplo, com a judicialização das relações privadas. A genealogia de Foucault consiste num método capaz de lançar luz sobre as práticas de poder na base dos discursos relacionados ao tema da alienação parental. O eufemismo pedagógico empregado para designar as sanções da lei tem como finalidade estratégica o convencimento a respeito de supostos benefícios da tutela sobre as famílias, ao mesmo tempo em que lhes são atribuídas alguma patologia disfuncional. Numa perspectiva crítica, a assimetria de gêneros corresponde às relações de poder presentes no problema da alienação parental. Por fim, a inversão dos critérios de identificação da alienação parental revela o distanciamento entre o ideal normativo e a realidade da ruptura conjugal e familiar, apontando para a importância de práticas de cuidado e assistência em vez de judicativas e punitivas.(AU)

The psychologist's ethical recommendation to critically intervene on the demand goes against the task of diagnosing acts of Parental Alienation (AP) and, in a broad sense, with the judicialization of private relations. Foucault's genealogy consists of a method able to shed on the power practices on the basis of discourses related to the theme of Parental Alienation. The pedagogical euphemism used to designate the sanctions of the law has the strategic purpose of convincing about the supposed benefits of guardianship over families, while attributing some dysfunctional pathology to them. From a critical perspective, gender asymmetry corresponds to the power relations present in the Parental Alienation problem. Finally, the inversion of the Parental Alienation's identification criteria reveals the gap between the normative ideal and the reality of marital and family disruption, pointing to the importance of care and assistance practices instead of judicative and punitive ones.(AU)

La recomendación ética del psicólogo de intervenir críticamente sobre la demanda va en contra de la tarea de diagnosticar actos de Alienación Parental (AP) y, en un sentido amplio, con la judicialización de las relaciones privadas. La genealogía de Foucault consiste en un método capaz de arrojar luz sobre las prácticas del poder a partir de discursos relacionados con el tema de la Alienación Parental. El eufemismo pedagógico que se utiliza para designar las sanciones de la ley tiene el propósito estratégico de convencer sobre los supuestos beneficios de la tutela sobre las familias, atribuyéndoles alguna patología disfuncional. Desde una perspectiva crítica, la asimetría de género corresponde a las relaciones de poder presentes en el problema de la Alienación Parental. Finalmente, la inversión de los criterios de identificación de la Alienación Parental revela la brecha entre el ideal normativo y la realidad de la ruptura conyugal y familiar, señalando la importancia de las prácticas de cuidado y asistencia en lugar de las judicativas y punitivas.(AU)

Situação-limite: por outro olhar sobre a violência em um Caps AD / Limit-situation: for another look on the violence in a CAPS AD / Situación límite: otra mirada sobre la violencia en un Caps AD

Este relato de experiência, situado no campo do cuidado a pessoas usuárias de álcool e outras drogas em contextos marcados por violência, tem como objetivo explorar os limites, desafios e caminhos possíveis, em um Centro de Atenção Psicossocial Álcool e Drogas (Caps AD III), para a sustentação de um cuidado orientado pela compreensão das pessoas usuárias do Caps a partir da sua existência, sofrimento e relação com o corpo social, mesmo diante de comportamentos tidos como violentos. De caráter qualitativo, o percurso de pesquisa foi conduzido por meio de dois recursos metodológicos: o relato de experiência, referente à trajetória de uma das autoras no Programa de Residência Multiprofissional em Saúde Mental do Instituto de Psiquiatria da Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (IPUB/UFRJ), e a metodologia caso traçador ou usuário-guia. O trabalho de cuidar de pessoas expostas à necropolítica exige um posicionamento ético dos trabalhadores de saúde mental de engendrar processos de resistências e produção de vida. Pela radicalidade que é vivenciá-la, a violência comparece como um elemento dificultador desse trabalho para os profissionais, fazendo com que, diante do desamparo, por vezes utilizem lógicas disciplinares para conseguir lidar com esse fenômeno. Propõe-se abordar as cenas nomeadas como violentas nos Caps com base na noção de situação-limite, retirando a situação da malha de sentidos que acompanha a palavra e remete a práticas disciplinares e ao contexto da violência urbana. Essa mudança de paradigma abre a possibilidade de que os trabalhadores se incluam nas situações, as entendam como relacionadas à complexidade e à singularidade da existência das pessoas envolvidas e, assim, proponham soluções produtoras de vida.(AU)

This experience report, situated in the field of care for people who use alcohol and other drugs in contexts marked by violence, aims to explore the limits, challenges, and possible paths, at a Psychosocial Care Center for Alcohol and Drugs (CAPS AD III), to support care guided by the knowledge of CAPS users based on their existence, suffering, and relationship with the social body, even in the face of behaviors considered to be violent. The path of this qualitative research was conducted with two methodological resources: the experience report, referring to the trajectory of one of the authors at the Multiprofessional Residency Program in Mental Health at the Institute of Psychiatry at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (IPUB/UFRJ), and the methodology of case tracer or user-guide. The work of caring for people exposed to necropolitics requires an ethical positioning of mental health workers to build resistance processes and life production. Due to it is radical to experience, violence appears as a complicating element of this work for the professionals, forcing them to, due to the lack of support, occasionally use disciplinary reasoning to deal with this phenomenon. This study proposes to approach violent scenarios in the CAPS under the guise of limit-situation, withdrawing the situation from the web of meanings that accompany the word and refer to disciplinary actions and the context of urban violence. This paradigmatic change opens the path for workers to include themselves in these situations, to understand their relationship with the complexity and singularity of the existence of the implicated people, and thus offer solutions that produce life.(AU)

Este reporte de experiencia se sitúa en el área de la atención a las personas que consumen alcohol y otras drogas en contexto de violencia y tiene por objetivo explorar los límites, desafíos y caminos posibles en un Centro de Atención Psicosocial Alcohol y Drogas (Caps AD III), para ofrecer un cuidado a los usuarios basado en la comprensión de las personas usuarias del Caps considerando su existencia, sufrimiento y relación con el cuerpo social, incluso ante situaciones violentas. Esta es una investigación cualitativa que se basó en dos recursos metodológicos: el reporte de experiencia sobre la trayectoria de una de las autoras en el Programa de Residencia Multiprofesional en Salud Mental de la Universidad Federal de Río de Janeiro (IPUB/UFRJ) y de la metodología del caso trazador o usuario guía. La labor de asistir a las personas expuestas a la necropolítica requiere un posicionamiento ético de los profesionales de la salud mental de producir vida y procesos de resistencia. Por la radicalidad de la experiencia, la violencia es un obstáculo para el trabajo de los profesionales, lo que los llevan a actuar de forma disciplinaria para hacer frente a este fenómeno. Se propone aquí abordar las escenas violentas bajo la noción de situación límite en el Caps, sacando del contexto la red semántica que acompaña la palabra y alude a las prácticas disciplinarias y la violencia urbana. Este cambio de paradigma permite que los trabajadores se incluyan en las situaciones, las comprendan en relación con la complejidad y la singularidad de la existencia de las personas y propongan soluciones que produzcan vida.(AU)

[Assessment of the initial period of schizotypal disorder in childhood]. / Otsenka nachal'nogo perioda shizotipicheskogo rasstroistva v detskom vozraste.

OBJECTIVE: To identify developmental features, the presence of hereditary burden, social adaptation, the structure of early psychopathological disorders in pediatric patients with schizotypal disorder (STD) and their relationship with the age of manifestation and the clinical structure of the disease. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study included 150 patients aged 7 to 16 years with a diagnosis of SD, of which 48 were female and 102 were male. Based on the age of onset of the first stable psychopathological disorders, at the stage preceding the diagnosis of SD, 5 groups of patients were identified: up to 3 years (n=38), from 4 to 6 years (n=36), from 7 to 10 years (n=15), 11-13 (n=41), 14-16 years old (n=20). The study used clinical-psychopathological, clinical-catamnestic, with a retrospective analysis, neurological, pathopsychological, psychometric and statistical research methods. RESULTS: A high frequency of deviations from normative parameters in early psychomotor development was found in 99 (65%) patients with STD. Mental retardation was observed in 23 (15%) patients, dissociation in mental development was detected in a significant number of patients - 62 (41%). At the same time, the most significantly more frequent and pronounced were violations in the two youngest groups with the onset of psychopathological disorders up to 6 years. In these groups, there was also more often a deficit in three areas at once - emotional, motivational and volitional (38%) compared with the 4th group (13%). In groups 1 and 2, a deficit in intellectual development was also characteristic, which was reflected in academic indicators. High performance in the primary grades was observed in 16% of patients in the 1st group versus 60% in the 5th, and poor performance was found in 37% in the 1st group and only 5% in the 5th. The relationship of clinical variants of STD with the selected groups was revealed. The diagnosis of schizotypal personality disorder was significantly more often (66%) diagnosed in patients from group 1 compared with groups 3 and 5. In group 2, this diagnosis was established in a third of cases. The diagnosis of the psychopathic variant of STD was predominant in patients with the onset of the disorder between 7 and 13 years of age. The neurosis-like variant had a clear tendency to become more frequent with older age, reaching statistically significant differences in group 5 compared to group 1. CONCLUSION: The age of onset and duration of persistence of psychopathological disorders determines the level of negative changes that have formed at the stage of the disease preceding the onset of distinct clinical symptoms of STD. Age at onset determines the predominant positive disorder.

Barriers to accessing and continuing mental health treatment among individuals with dissociative symptoms.

Background: Dissociative disorders (DDs) are characterized by interruptions of identity, thought, memory, emotion, perception, and consciousness. Patients with DDs are at high risk for engaging in dangerous behaviours, such as self-harm and suicidal acts; yet, only between 28% and 48% of individuals with DDs receive mental health treatment. Patients that do pursue treatment are often misdiagnosed, repeatedly hospitalized, and experience disbelief from providers about their trauma history and dissociative symptoms. Lack of dissociation-specific treatment can result in poor quality of life, severe symptoms requiring utilization of hospitalization and intensive outpatient treatment, and high rates of disability. Objective: Given the extensive and debilitating symptoms experienced by individuals with DDs and the infrequent utilization of treatment, the current study explored barriers to accessing and continuing mental health treatment for individuals with dissociative symptoms and DDs. Method: A total of 276 participants with self-reported dissociative symptoms were recruited via online social media platforms. Participants completed a survey which featured 35 possible barriers to accessing treatment and 45 possible reasons for discontinuing treatment, along with open text boxes for adding barriers/reasons that were not listed. Results: Results showed 97% of participants experienced one or more barriers to accessing treatment (M = 9 barriers) and 92% stopped treatment with a provider due to at least one of the reasons captured in the survey (e.g. limited insurance coverage, poor therapeutic alliance, disbelief from providers, etc.; M = 7 barriers). Conclusions: The most frequently endorsed barriers were structural barriers, such as those related to finances, insurance, and lack of provider availability. It is imperative more service providers are trained to treat dissociation and that insurers and health care systems recognize the need for specialized, dissociation-focused treatment.

Antecedentes: Los trastornos disociativos (TD) se caracterizan por interrupciones en la identidad, pensamiento, memoria, emoción, percepción y conciencia. Los pacientes con TD tienen un alto riesgo de participar en conductas peligrosas, como autolesiones y actos suicidas; sin embargo, solo entre el 28­48% de las personas con TD reciben tratamiento de salud mental. Los pacientes que buscan tratamiento a menudo son mal diagnosticados, hospitalizados repetidamente y experimentan incredulidad por parte de los proveedores sobre su historial de trauma y síntomas disociativos. La falta de un tratamiento específico para la disociación puede resultar en una mala calidad de vida, síntomas graves que requieren hospitalización y tratamiento ambulatorio intensivo y altas tasas de discapacidad.Objetivo: Dados los síntomas extensos y debilitantes que experimentan las personas con TD y la utilización poco frecuente del tratamiento, el presente estudio exploró las barreras para acceder y continuar el tratamiento de salud mental para las personas con síntomas disociativos y TD.Método: Un total de 276 participantes con síntomas disociativos auto-reportados fueron reclutados a través de plataformas de redes sociales en línea. Los participantes completaron una encuesta que presentaba 35 posibles barreras para acceder al tratamiento y 45 posibles razones para interrumpir el tratamiento, junto con cuadros de texto abiertos para agregar barreras/razones no incluidas en la lista.Resultados: Los resultados mostraron que el 97% de los participantes experimentó una o más barreras para acceder al tratamiento (M = 9 barreras) y el 92% interrumpió el tratamiento con un proveedor debido al menos a una de las razones capturadas en la encuesta (por ejemplo, cobertura de seguro médico limitada, pobre alianza terapéutica, incredulidad por parte de los proveedores, etc.; M = 7 barreras).Conclusiones: Las barreras confirmadas con mayor frecuencia fueron las barreras estructurales, como las relacionadas con las finanzas, los seguros médicos y la falta de disponibilidad de proveedores. Es imperativo que más proveedores de servicios estén capacitados para tratar la disociación y que las aseguradoras y los sistemas de atención médica reconozcan la necesidad de un tratamiento especializado centrado en la disociación.

A Comprehensive Model for Gambling Behaviors: Assessment of the Factors that can Contribute to the Vulnerability and Maintenance of Gambling Disorder.

Gambling Disorder is a complex and multifaceted phenomenon which requires a careful understanding by analysing both the life experiences and the psychopathological components linked to this type of behaviour. This study aimed to apply a Comprehensive Model of Addiction and to delve deeper the dimensions involved in the vulnerability and maintenance of the disease. Therefore, the effect of alexithymia and traumatic experiences in mediating the relationship between insecure attachment and dissociation, as well as the roles of impulsiveness and compulsiveness in influencing obsessiveness were explored in pathological gamblers. A sample composed of 253 individuals with a mean age of 47.8 years (SD = 12.4) with a diagnosis of Gambling Disorder (82.6% males, 17.4% females) completed the battery of measures. Results showed that alexithymia significantly mediates the relationship between insecure attachment and dissociation, while no significance was found in the effect of complex trauma. Furthermore, a significant impact role of impulsiveness and compulsiveness in determining obsessiveness was found. Therefore, the data suggested that alexithymia may increase the risk of developing a gambling disorder, mediating the association between insecure attachment and dissociation. The model of craving which could have a core role in disease maintenance processes was also confirmed, highlighting a significant influence of impulsiveness and compulsiveness on obsessiveness. Such findings might have relevant implications to increase the effectiveness of both preventive interventions and therapeutic works, favouring positive results for a better mental health of the subjects.

The Mechanism of Cumulative Ecological Risk Affecting College Students' Sense of Social Responsibility: The Double Fugue Effect of Belief in a Just World and Empathy.

According to bioecological theory, the development of college students' social responsibility is affected by the cumulative effect of ecological risks. However, research on the impact of cumulative ecological risk on social responsibility and its potential mechanisms are still lacking. Carol Gilligan (1982) proposed that the ethics of care and justice are like two related but independent melodies, which together constitute the whole of moral psychology. However, despite being an important part of moral psychology, social responsibility has rarely been investigated empirically with regards to the psychological mechanisms of justice and caring orientation. Therefore, the current study had 1607 college students complete questionnaires regarding cumulative ecological risk, social responsibility, belief in a just world, and empathy, aiming to explore the impact of cumulative ecological risk on college students' sense of social responsibility and the mediating roles of belief in a just world and empathy. Results showed that: (1) cumulative ecological risk was significantly negatively correlated with college students' sense of social responsibility, belief in a just world, and empathy, whereas social responsibility, belief in a just world, and empathy were significantly positively correlated; (2) belief in a just world and empathy played mediating roles in the relationship between cumulative ecological risk and social responsibility. The results also showed that the development of college students' sense of social responsibility was affected by the cumulative ecological risk from various directions; this influence was also seen to play a role in the motivation system of social responsibility through the ethics of care with empathy as the important part, as well as through the ethics of justice. The results suggest that we should reduce the ecological risks at their source, and improve and consolidate students' social support systems; moreover, we should not only enhance college students' sense of mission and responsibility to consciously maintain social justice order, but also adopt empathy training as a part of the curriculum to improve students' empathy at the individual level.

A new perspective and assessment measure for common dissociative experiences: 'Felt Sense of Anomaly'.

BACKGROUND: Dissociative experiences occur across a range of mental health disorders. However, the term 'dissociation' has long been argued to lack conceptual clarity and may describe several distinct phenomena. We therefore aimed to conceptualise and empirically establish a discrete subset of dissociative experiences and develop a corresponding assessment measure. METHODS: First, a systematic review of existing measures was carried out to identify themes across dissociative experiences. A theme of 'Felt Sense of Anomaly' (FSA) emerged. Second, assessment items were generated based on this construct and a measure developed using exploratory (EFA) and confirmatory (CFA) factor analyses of 8861 responses to an online self-report survey. Finally, the resulting measure was validated via CFA with data from 1031 patients with psychosis. RESULTS: 'Felt sense of anomaly' (FSA) was identified as common to many dissociative experiences, affecting several domains (e.g. body) and taking different forms ('types'; e.g. unfamiliarity). Items for a novel measure were therefore systematically generated using a conceptual framework whereby each item represented a type-by-domain interaction (e.g. 'my body feels unfamiliar'). Factor analysis of online responses found that FSA-dissociation manifested in seven ways: anomalous experiences of the self, body, and emotion, and altered senses of familiarity, connection, agency, and reality (Χ2 (553) = 4989.435, p<0.001, CFI = 0.929, TLI = 0.924, RMSEA = 0.052, SRMR = 0.047). Additionally, a single-factor 'global FSA' scale was produced (Χ2 (9) = 312.350, p<0.001, CFI = 0.970, TLI = 0.950, RMSEA = 0.107, SRMR = 0.021). Model fit was adequate in the clinical (psychosis) group (Χ2 (553) = 1623.641, p<0.001, CFI = 0.927, TLI = 0.921, RMSEA = 0.043, SRMR = 0.043). The scale had good convergent validity with a widely used dissociation scale (DES-II) (non-clinical: r = 0.802), excellent internal reliability (non-clinical: Cronbach's alpha = 0.98; clinical: Cronbach's alpha = 0.97), and excellent test-retest reliability (non-clinical: ICC = 0.92). Further, in non-clinical respondents scoring highly on a PTSD measure, CFA confirmed adequate model fit (Χ2 (553) = 4758.673, CFI = 0.913, TLI = 0.906, RMSEA = 0.052, SRMR = 0.054). CONCLUSIONS: The Cernis Felt Sense of Anomaly (CEFSA) scale is a novel measure of a subset of dissociative experiences that share a core feature of FSA. It is psychometrically robust in both non-clinical and psychosis groups.

Mortality in patients with psychogenic nonepileptic seizures.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the hypothesis that patients diagnosed with psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNES) on video-EEG monitoring (VEM) have increased mortality by comparison to the general population. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study included patients evaluated in VEM units of 3 tertiary hospitals in Melbourne, Australia, between January 1, 1995, and December 31, 2015. Diagnosis was based on consensus opinion of experienced epileptologists and neuropsychiatrists at each hospital. Mortality was determined in patients diagnosed with PNES, epilepsy, or both conditions by linkage to the Australian National Death Index. Lifetime history of psychiatric disorders in PNES was determined from formal neuropsychiatric reports. RESULTS: A total of 5,508 patients underwent VEM. A total of 674 (12.2%) were diagnosed with PNES, 3064 (55.6%) with epilepsy, 175 (3.2%) with both conditions, and 1,595 (29.0%) received other diagnoses or had no diagnosis made. The standardized mortality ratio (SMR) of patients diagnosed with PNES was 2.5 (95% confidence interval [CI] 2.0-3.3). Those younger than 30 had an 8-fold higher risk of death (95% CI 3.4-19.8). Direct comparison revealed no significant difference in mortality rate between diagnostic groups. Among deaths in patients diagnosed with PNES (n = 55), external causes contributed 18%, with 20% of deaths in those younger than 50 years attributed to suicide, and "epilepsy" was recorded as the cause of death in 24%. CONCLUSIONS: Patients diagnosed with PNES have a SMR 2.5 times above the general population, dying at a rate comparable to those with drug-resistant epilepsy. This emphasizes the importance of prompt diagnosis, identification of risk factors, and implementation of appropriate strategies to prevent potential avoidable deaths.

Cognitive behavioural therapy for adults with dissociative seizures (CODES): a pragmatic, multicentre, randomised controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Dissociative seizures are paroxysmal events resembling epilepsy or syncope with characteristic features that allow them to be distinguished from other medical conditions. We aimed to compare the effectiveness of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) plus standardised medical care with standardised medical care alone for the reduction of dissociative seizure frequency. METHODS: In this pragmatic, parallel-arm, multicentre randomised controlled trial, we initially recruited participants at 27 neurology or epilepsy services in England, Scotland, and Wales. Adults (≥18 years) who had dissociative seizures in the previous 8 weeks and no epileptic seizures in the previous 12 months were subsequently randomly assigned (1:1) from 17 liaison or neuropsychiatry services following psychiatric assessment, to receive standardised medical care or CBT plus standardised medical care, using a web-based system. Randomisation was stratified by neuropsychiatry or liaison psychiatry recruitment site. The trial manager, chief investigator, all treating clinicians, and patients were aware of treatment allocation, but outcome data collectors and trial statisticians were unaware of treatment allocation. Patients were followed up 6 months and 12 months after randomisation. The primary outcome was monthly dissociative seizure frequency (ie, frequency in the previous 4 weeks) assessed at 12 months. Secondary outcomes assessed at 12 months were: seizure severity (intensity) and bothersomeness; longest period of seizure freedom in the previous 6 months; complete seizure freedom in the previous 3 months; a greater than 50% reduction in seizure frequency relative to baseline; changes in dissociative seizures (rated by others); health-related quality of life; psychosocial functioning; psychiatric symptoms, psychological distress, and somatic symptom burden; and clinical impression of improvement and satisfaction. p values and statistical significance for outcomes were reported without correction for multiple comparisons as per our protocol. Primary and secondary outcomes were assessed in the intention-to-treat population with multiple imputation for missing observations. This trial is registered with the International Standard Randomised Controlled Trial registry, ISRCTN05681227, and ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02325544. FINDINGS: Between Jan 16, 2015, and May 31, 2017, we randomly assigned 368 patients to receive CBT plus standardised medical care (n=186) or standardised medical care alone (n=182); of whom 313 had primary outcome data at 12 months (156 [84%] of 186 patients in the CBT plus standardised medical care group and 157 [86%] of 182 patients in the standardised medical care group). At 12 months, no significant difference in monthly dissociative seizure frequency was identified between the groups (median 4 seizures [IQR 0-20] in the CBT plus standardised medical care group vs 7 seizures [1-35] in the standardised medical care group; estimated incidence rate ratio [IRR] 0·78 [95% CI 0·56-1·09]; p=0·144). Dissociative seizures were rated as less bothersome in the CBT plus standardised medical care group than the standardised medical care group (estimated mean difference -0·53 [95% CI -0·97 to -0·08]; p=0·020). The CBT plus standardised medical care group had a longer period of dissociative seizure freedom in the previous 6 months (estimated IRR 1·64 [95% CI 1·22 to 2·20]; p=0·001), reported better health-related quality of life on the EuroQoL-5 Dimensions-5 Level Health Today visual analogue scale (estimated mean difference 6·16 [95% CI 1·48 to 10·84]; p=0·010), less impairment in psychosocial functioning on the Work and Social Adjustment Scale (estimated mean difference -4·12 [95% CI -6·35 to -1·89]; p<0·001), less overall psychological distress than the standardised medical care group on the Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation-10 scale (estimated mean difference -1·65 [95% CI -2·96 to -0·35]; p=0·013), and fewer somatic symptoms on the modified Patient Health Questionnaire-15 scale (estimated mean difference -1·67 [95% CI -2·90 to -0·44]; p=0·008). Clinical improvement at 12 months was greater in the CBT plus standardised medical care group than the standardised medical care alone group as reported by patients (estimated mean difference 0·66 [95% CI 0·26 to 1·04]; p=0·001) and by clinicians (estimated mean difference 0·47 [95% CI 0·21 to 0·73]; p<0·001), and the CBT plus standardised medical care group had greater satisfaction with treatment than did the standardised medical care group (estimated mean difference 0·90 [95% CI 0·48 to 1·31]; p<0·001). No significant differences in patient-reported seizure severity (estimated mean difference -0·11 [95% CI -0·50 to 0·29]; p=0·593) or seizure freedom in the last 3 months of the study (estimated odds ratio [OR] 1·77 [95% CI 0·93 to 3·37]; p=0·083) were identified between the groups. Furthermore, no significant differences were identified in the proportion of patients who had a more than 50% reduction in dissociative seizure frequency compared with baseline (OR 1·27 [95% CI 0·80 to 2·02]; p=0·313). Additionally, the 12-item Short Form survey-version 2 scores (estimated mean difference for the Physical Component Summary score 1·78 [95% CI -0·37 to 3·92]; p=0·105; estimated mean difference for the Mental Component Summary score 2·22 [95% CI -0·30 to 4·75]; p=0·084), the Generalised Anxiety Disorder-7 scale score (estimated mean difference -1·09 [95% CI -2·27 to 0·09]; p=0·069), and the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 scale depression score (estimated mean difference -1·10 [95% CI -2·41 to 0·21]; p=0·099) did not differ significantly between groups. Changes in dissociative seizures (rated by others) could not be assessed due to insufficient data. During the 12-month period, the number of adverse events was similar between the groups: 57 (31%) of 186 participants in the CBT plus standardised medical care group reported 97 adverse events and 53 (29%) of 182 participants in the standardised medical care group reported 79 adverse events. INTERPRETATION: CBT plus standardised medical care had no statistically significant advantage compared with standardised medical care alone for the reduction of monthly seizures. However, improvements were observed in a number of clinically relevant secondary outcomes following CBT plus standardised medical care when compared with standardised medical care alone. Thus, adults with dissociative seizures might benefit from the addition of dissociative seizure-specific CBT to specialist care from neurologists and psychiatrists. Future work is needed to identify patients who would benefit most from a dissociative seizure-specific CBT approach. FUNDING: National Institute for Health Research, Health Technology Assessment programme.

The economic burden of dissociative disorders: A qualitative systematic review of empirical studies.

OBJECTIVE: Dissociative disorders (DDs) are associated with intensive, long-term treatment, suicidality, recurrent hospitalizations, and high rates of disability. However, little is known about the specifics of the economic burden associated with DDs. This worldwide, systematic review examines the results of studies in adults on direct and indirect costs associated with DDs. METHOD: We searched 6 databases and the reference lists of articles. We also approached researchers to identify unpublished studies. No language restrictions were imposed. RESULTS: A total of 1,002 records met the search criteria, of which 29 papers were selected for full-text inspection. Ultimately, of these, we reviewed four empirical studies. We provide a narrative discussion of study findings. Our findings suggest that DDs are costly to society, and that there is a reduction in service utilization and associated costs over time with diagnosing of and specialized treatment for DDs. However, the overall quality of the economic evaluations was low; several types of DDs, comorbid conditions, and costs were not included; and men were underrepresented. Due to the heterogeneity among studies, we could not perform a meta-analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Due to the heterogeneity and low quality of the identified economic evaluations, no firm conclusions about the economic burden of DDs alone can be drawn. Higher quality research, including a detailed description of the study design, population, and primary outcome measures used, utilizing appropriate clinical alternatives and including major comorbidities, is urgently needed to more rigorously assess the economic impact of DDs. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

Association of Domestic Violence Against Women With Sociodemographic Factors, Clinical Features, and Dissociative Symptoms in Patients Who Receive Services From Psychiatric Outpatient Units in Turkey.

Domestic violence (DV) against women is a serious problem with its negative effects on all family members and the society. Women exposed to DV not only have physical but also psychological damage. This study investigates prevalence of DV and its relations with some descriptive and clinical features in a psychiatric outpatient population in Turkey. A total of 277 female outpatients were included in the study. After a semistructured clinical interview, they were assessed by sociodemographic data form, DV questionnaire, Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS), Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HARS), Dissociative Experiences Scale (DES), and Somatoform Dissociation Questionnaire (SDQ). Prevalence of exposure to DV by intimate partner is found to be 58.8% (n = 163). The current study provided strong evidence that occupation status of the woman, education level of the partner, and family type are predictors of DV. Another predictor of DV exists where the child is battered by either parent. Prevalence of depression, conversion disorder, and other somatoform disorders are higher in women exposed to DV. These women also have higher scores from HDRS, HARS, DES, and SDQ compared with female patients who have not experienced DV (p < .001). Number of women scoring above cutoff levels for DES and SDQ were significantly higher in women exposed to DV (p < .001).

The Detachment and Compartmentalization Inventory (DCI): An assessment tool for two potentially distinct forms of dissociation.

While evidence suggests a division between two qualitatively distinct forms of dissociation, no scale has been specifically designed to differentiate between them. This study describes the development and validation of the Detachment and Compartmentalization Inventory (DCI). The DCI was developed from dissociation theory, 29 existing dissociation scales and expert opinion. An initial pilot study was conducted which assessed readability, explored validity and reduced items before the DCI was administered online to 89 nonclinical and 105 clinical participants. The Dissociative Experiences Scale (DES), Somatoform Dissociation Questionnaire (SDQ), and Mindfulness Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS) were included in the survey battery. The DCI exhibited good internal reliability, discriminant validity, convergent validity, construct validity and concurrent validity. The final version containing 22-items, is self-administered, grounded in the theoretical literature and supported by initial psychometric evaluation. It has 10 items assessing compartmentalization, 10 items assessing detachment and two items examining valid responding. The DCI could detect compartmentalization and detachment, and was designed for clinical research and for screening patients.

Assessment of complex dissociative disorder patients and simulated dissociation in forensic contexts.

Few assessors receive training in assessing dissociation and complex dissociative disorders (DDs). Potential differential diagnoses include anxiety, mood, psychotic, substance use, and personality disorders, as well as exaggeration and malingering. Individuals with DDs typically elevate on many clinical and validity scales on psychological tests, yet research indicates that they can be distinguished from DD simulators. Becoming informed about the testing profiles of DD individuals and DD simulators can improve the accuracy of differential diagnoses in forensic settings. In this paper, we first review the testing profiles of individuals with complex DDs and contrast them with DD simulators on assessment measures used in forensic contexts, including the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2), Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI), and the Structured Inventory of Reported Symptoms (SIRS), as well as dissociation-specific measures such as the Dissociative Experiences Scale (DES) and Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Dissociative Disorders (SCID-D-R). We then provide recommendations for assessing complex trauma and dissociation through the aforementioned assessments.

Religious Dissociation and Economic Appraisal in Brazil.

Research on the association between religion and health often neglects to provide an explicit theoretical mechanism of influence between faith and well-being. This research posits that dissociative behaviors, such as glossolalia, may provide a biological pathway that influences both physiological and psychological health. This paper argues that religious dissociation acts as a moderator between economic stressors and psychobiological appraisal. Brazil, with its economic inequality and preponderance of religious dissociative rituals, provides an ideal context to examine religious dissociation as a moderator of stress. Utilizing data from a cross section of Brazilian faiths, this paper examines: (1) Whether individuals with low socioeconomic status preferentially participate and experience religious dissociative states and (2) whether dissociative states are correlated with greater psychological appraisal of status.

[Willingness of Psychotherapists in Private Practice to Treat Patients With Complex Post-Traumatic Stress and Dissociative Disorders]. / Bereitschaft niedergelassener Therapeuten zur Behandlung von Patienten mit komplexen posttraumatischen und dissoziativen Störungen.

OBJECTIVE: Analyses of patient care with severe mental disorders. METHODS: Psychotherapists in private praxis were interviewed about their willingness to treat patients with a range of diagnoses in the context of post-traumatic disorders. RESULTS: Therapists were found more willing to treat "less severe" disorders, independent of years in practice, school of psychotherapy, a rural or urban practice setting. Therapists criticized the quality of their training and the health insurance review process. CONCLUSIONS: Therapists are generally willing to treat patients with severe mental disorders, but experience limits of competency attributed to training deficits. They further experience the bureaucratic procedures of the health insurance review process as barriers to accepting these patients into treatment.These results indicate that recently developed concepts of psychotherapy for these patient groups should be more intensively integrated into the existing training curricula. Furthermore, a simplified health insurance review process ought to be considered.